The best group blog Algonquin College social media students have ever written

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Location, Location, Location!

As a photographer, I’m always trying to find interesting locations to go and shoot. Social media can be a great tool for finding locations that you aren’t aware of either in your own backyard or in another country.

Here are some of the ways that I use social media to find those areas.

Twitter

If I’m looking for locations in Ontario, the Ontario Provincial Park twitter accounts for specific parks are good at not only sharing photos but also providing specific locations. In the example below, if I was interested in shooting wildflowers, Algonquin Park has not only given me a sample of what I’ll see but also directed me to the trail to take. (@Algonquin_PP, 2018)

The Provincial Parks are also good at re-tweeting people who tagged them in their posts which provides you with further ideas. Unfortunately, not all the Ontario Provincial Park accounts are as active and as detailed as Algonquin. You can try this approach to other Provinces if you are traveling outside of Ontario.

Another approach to try is searching for hashtags using the park name or location. For instance, searching #lakelouise helps me discover Lake Moraine which is close to Lake Louise. (@FairmontCLL, 2018) As an added bonus I’ve got a link that provides me with other areas of interest around this location.

Instagram

I follow a similar approach to Twitter for Instagram in using hashtags to find locations. For instance, if I’m traveling to Utah and I plan on going to Zion National park I would look for hashtags such as; #zion, #zionnps or #zionnationalpark. From within the photos that appear I might find additional hashtags I want to investigate like; #TheSubway. The result a location that I might not have been aware of otherwise to get the photo below.

Blogs

I was going to Alberta and developed a list of shots that I wanted to try and take. One of these items was wooden grain elevators. A search on Google had me stumble across a travel blog that not only gave me some locations but also helped me find a ghost town in Rowley. (Off the Beaten Path – with Chris & Connie, 2013) The photos on the blog were enough to give me an idea of what I would see and a new destination was added to my trip.

There are just a few of the ways that I use to find different locations to shoot. How do you use social media to find locations to photograph?

Location, Location, Location! Tips for using social media to discover locations to photograph. https://bit.ly/2xNCznO

Location, Location, Location! Tips for using social media to discover locations to photograph. https://bit.ly/2xNCznO

References

@Algoquin_PP [Algoquin Provincial Park] (2018, May 19) Some of the best wildflower viewing in the park right now is on Hemlock Bluff Trail. One of our Park Naturalists discovered “blankets of Dutchman’s Breeches” along with plenty of Trout Lilies & Red Trilliums. [Tweet] Retrieved from https://twitter.com/Algonquin_PP/status/997884799883907072

@FairmountCLL [Chateau Lake Louise] This has got to be one of the best night shots of Moraine Lake we have ever seen Our sister lake is a must-see in #lakelouise! http://bit.ly/2GzaRKM Pic: @deljayphotography via IG #banffnationalpark [Tweet] Retrieved from https://twitter.com/FairmontCLL/status/1003815490349748224

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7 thoughts on “Location, Location, Location!”

Using social media tools and networks is a great way to find new places to shoot! I love urban exploration and the exploration of abandoned buildings and areas, and “secretive” social networks such as UER (Urban Exploration Resource) are so useful for discovering new locations through other explorers posts. They also host image galleries so users can share their photographs from these locations. Without social network resources like these, urban exploration would be incredibly difficult to pursue!

I’ve seen some cool shots from urban explorers and we actually had a speaker at the camera club I attend who talked about it. Given the nature of these type of shoots, I agree that without social networks it would be hard to find these types of places to explore.

Great post! I love finding new places to hike or go for a bike ride. I have used the internet to find many but not social media. I’m still getting familiar with all of that… I’m going to assume that it’s also a great way to find new travel destinations! My options just suddenly expanded!

It’s a great option for finding places that you wouldn’t otherwise know exist. One account I follow is @NatGeoTravel which always posts articles about various places. Not a social media site but geocaching.com has helped me find a lot of local areas and trails that I never knew existed.

It is a fabulous tool for finding places, even friends who know people can direct you to some amazing places. I was in Yellowknife with my daughter and I had posted a picture of us at the airport on Facebook and one of my friends commented that his sister in law lived there. He also knew we were touring the school in which she worked at and I was able to meet her face to face. Small world!

This is a great way to connect places and people. Social media can benefit place and even events and or companies. I was planning a trip out west to go hunting and added some hashtags and got some great pictures of the camp.